Africom Gets New Commander

Marine Corps Thomas D. Waldhauser succeeded retiring Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez as commander of U.S. Africa Command July 18, becoming the first Marine to hold the job. Waldhauser inherits a mission slate that includes stemming the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, as well as combating terrorism, piracy, and trafficking. Four days earlier, the Associated Press reported that President Obama approved the deployment of 47 U.S. troops to South Sudan an area beset by fierce combat operations.